Month: August 2017

A walk in the park or a scroll through Facebook quickly show how many people have cats and dogs. The American Pet Products Association estimated that approximately 44% of all households in the United States had a dog, and 35% had a cat in 2015-2016. These pet owners love to watch their furry friends frolic and roll in the lawn. They also cringe when the animals dig up, eat, defecate on, and sometimes destroy their yards.

Petscaping creates a yard where dogs and cats can safely live and play. Those who petscape avoid plants that are poisonous to pets and safely use yard and garden chemicals.

Petscapers might also include plants that are safe for pets to eat. Cat owners, for example, might landscape with catnip and valerian plants that cause intoxicating effects in some cats. Other plants cats like to eat (without getting them high) include cat thyme, cat grass, lemon grass, and other mints. Dog owners might plant extra fruits and vegetables to supplement their kibble. Remember to always get your veterinarians approval before changing a pets diet.

Unfortunately, there are also plants to avoid in a pet friendly landscape. The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine website at http://vetmed.illinois.edu/poisonplants/ provides resources and lists regarding potentially poisonous plants.

Sometimes homeowners use chemicals to help plants grow, control Japanese beetles, kill dandelions, or stop rose diseases. The best way to protect your pets from lawn and garden chemicals is to read and follow all label directions. This includes all fertilizers and pesticides, such as insecticides and weed killers. First, be sure the product is labeled for the location where it will be used. For example, lawn products often cannot legally be used on food gardens. Second, read the precautionary statements to see if the product is toxic to animals. In particular, check to see if there is a time period when pets should not enter the area after application (also called reentry interval). If no interval is listed, keep pets and people out of the area until the sprays have dried or the dusts have settled. Third, follow all directions for use. Do not use more product than directed on the label. Finally, store and dispose of chemical products properly. A locked cabinet or room is best to avoid accidental pet exposure.

When petscaping a dog friendly yard you might include a designated potty area, exercise space, shade, and water. Horticulture Educator Chris Enroth’s “Dog Gone Lawn” article in his Green Speak blog discusses this further and provides tips to keep dogs from tearing up the lawn. For links to both of these articles, as well as other petscaping sites, visit my ILRiverHort Blog at go.illinois.edu/ILRiverHort.

Use petscaping ideas to be sure you and your pet enjoy the dog days of summer safely in your yard this summer.

Elmer Fudd from The Looney Tunes said it right, “Bugs Bunny?! You’re a pesky wabbit!” I have replanted my tomato plants three times this spring. The first two times the plants were gone by the next morning, and I think the “cute” little rabbit I saw hop down my walk is the culprit!

As you know, our Eastern cottontail rabbits produce many offspring and grow quickly. One female cottontail rabbit may have 20-25 young per year, which reach full size in six months.

My efforts to naturalize many parts of my property likely increase my rabbit population. They are found in open spaces near woody cover and are abundant where grass fields adjoin bushy areas. I have many locations with that exact description.

You might ask how I know a rabbit ate my plants. Rabbits clip off flower heads, buds, or small stems (my tomatoes!) at a clean 45o angle. Deer, on the other hand, do not have sharp teeth like a rabbit and instead twist and pull plants when browsing. Cutworms don’t eat the entire plant.

Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for managing rabbits and other wildlife in our yards. Control options include habitat modification, exclusion, repellents, and removal.

I chose to try the exclusion method. The third tomato planting included a wire mesh fence cover to keep rabbits away from the plants. The mesh has to be small enough to prevent small and large rabbits from slipping through. Rabbits also burrow so the bottom six inches of wire should be bent outward and buried six inches deep.

The rabbits have also eaten some of my impatiens. Since these products are not safe for human consumption, and impatiens are not an edible food crop, repellents were a good option. These products are taste repellents and are applied directly to the plants. Unfortunately, it has to be reapplied after heavy rains or watering and as the plant develops new growth.

I just learned about another option I want to try. Bunny-Be-Gone Coleus (Coleus canina) is marketed as a natural repellent. Also called Scaredy Cat Plant (Plectranthus caninus), this mint family herb is sticky with a foul odor similar to marijuana. No research currently exists to support these claims, but it’ll be fun to try it anyway.

You might ask why I don’t use Elmer Fudd’s method for controlling Bugs Bunny – a gun. In Illinois, an animal removal permit from an Illinois Department of Natural Resources District wildlife biologist is required to trap rabbits. Rabbit hunting season in Illinois is from November through early January.

I have several purple vegetables and herbs growing in my garden this summer.

Botanically, purple plants are fascinating to me. We all learn in science class that plants get their green color from the chlorophyll in their leaves, which is used in photosynthesis to make food. Actually, plants have three color pigments: chlorophyll (green) carotenoid (red), and anthocyanin (blue). Various combinations of these pigments give plants their different colors. Carotenoid pigments give carrots their orange color, while anthocyanin pigments appear in purple grapes – and in my purple herbs and vegetables.

Purple vegetables are a more recent novelty. As a kid we had purple eggplant and cabbage, but not purple green beans, cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes. Today there are many options. Sometimes entire plants are purple, while other times it’s only the edible plant part. Purple plants are becoming increasingly popular for added color in salads and cooked dishes.

We are eating the plant’s leaves of cabbage and basil. Thus their all of their plant parts are solid or variegated shades of purple. Cabbage comes in various shades of green, as well as red or purple types. Easy varieties for homeowners to raise include ‘Red Meteor’ (75 days to harvest; firm; good for all seasons) and ‘Ruby Ball’ (71 days; slow to burst; resists both cold and heat). I plan to ferment sauerkraut with the cabbage from my garden.

In cauliflower, we eat the purple flowers. ‘Violet Queen’ is deep purple with open broccoli-like heads, and ‘Graffiti’ has brilliant purple heads. Both look great on a veggie tray.

It’s the plant’s fruit that we eat in peppers and green beans. Unfortunately, the purple color of these vegetables fades to green during cooking. According to Sandy Mason, Illinois Master Gardener Coordinator, to retain as much nutrition and color, add a little lemon juice or vinegar to the vegetables during cooking to produce a prettier final product, and don’t overcook them.

To me, the oddest and most interesting of all are edible roots, such as purple carrots and potatoes.

Maybe next year I’ll plan better and devote an entire area to purple vegetables and herbs. I can even envision a magical world there, where Prince sends purple rain down to water and nourish my fantasyland in purple.

I grow several different types of basil, and try new ones each year. Usually, I end up preferring the basic sweet basil to other kinds, but not this year. A new favorite this year is lime basil.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) has many different cultivars. They are generally divided into four groups: sweet green, dwarf green, purple-leaf, and scented leaf.

Lime Basil is a scented leaf basil. True to its name and type, it has a mild citrus aroma and flavor. Lime basil is slightly smaller than sweet basil, growing to about a foot tall. Mom uses it in her lemon cookies. I use it in my tomato-cucumber salad and plan to try it in mojitos and on grilled fish.

While I’m enjoying using lime basil in various food and drink, sweet green basil will always be a staple in my garden. Sweet basil grows about two foot tall with bright green leaves. It has a clove-like taste that I particularly like as a hot tea additive or made into pesto-pasto. In fact, I use sweet basil so much that I grow it and cilantro year round. In the summer I plant transplants in the outdoor herb garden, and in the winter I grow them from seed in my aerogarden. This year I am also growing both of these plants in containers on the patio.

‘Dark Opal Purple’ Basil is also an ole, standby in my garden. It is similar to sweet basil in taste and plant size, but with dark bronze-purple leaves. Other purple-leaf basils include ‘Purple Ruffles’ and ‘Rubin.’ I infuse purple basil leaves in vinegar to use in salads, egg dishes, and more.

Thai basil is my least favorite basil, probably because it strong taste is too much like black licorice. Another scented leaf basil, it is used in Thai and Indian cooking. Taller than sweet basil, Thai basil grows to three foot in height.

If you are limited on space or want to grow container herbs on the patio, try a dwarf green type. ‘Spicy globe’ is only grows six to twelve inches tall, thus making it an excellent container or edging plant. Though miniature, it tastes like a sweet basil.

All basil types are easy to grow, either from seed or transplants. They prefer sunny locations, warm temperatures, and moist, but well-drained soil. As soon as the plant has some size, begin cutting off the leaves for cooking. The newest leaves have the best flavor. This will also keep the plant from flowering, which shortens the life of the plant. Regular harvesting will encourage branching and the production of new leaves.